Several techniques exist in the art for storing and retrieving information such as, for example, speech information. One technique frequently employed is a written list. This technique has a drawback in that locating, sorting, and restructuring the information in the written list can prove to be prohibitively cumbersome when long lists are used. A cassette tape recorder is another example of a technique which exists in the art for storing and retrieving information in the form of speech information. This technique has a drawback in that storing and/or retrieving information is limited to sequential access to the information. While fast-forward and fast-rewind functions available with some tape recorders enable one to access a predetermined portion of a tape in a reasonably short amount of time, in general, one is required to perform several forward-play or reverse-play operations to locate a specific segment of the tape. In addition, retrieval of information from the tape typically requires one to have knowledge of at least a portion of the information--stored as a speech passage--or knowledge of the location of the information.
In light of the above, there is a need in the art for method and apparatus for storing and retrieving information which enable a user to access the information randomly in a manner which can be customized by the user who enters the information.